Scan barcode
aecinf's review
4.0
This book is an engaging page-turner exposing the irresponsible choices of silicon valley's sweetheart Elizabeth Holmes. Hell bent on becoming rich, famous, and influential, Elizabeth levied her ambition into a bio-tech startup company with the mission of revolutionizing the way blood samples are taken and analyzed. Unfortunately, Elizabeth, with a millionaire boyfriend whispering bad advice in her ear, built a house of cards on a faulty device and broken promises. A cautionary tale all would-be entrepreneurs should read.
melancholy_books's review
5.0
This is amazing. We can question her methods but I personally believe it's the influence around her that caused the disarray of her life. I also believe that she lost her connection to humanity and that caused a blinded view point, hidden with misgivings.
jess_mango's review
5.0
Fascinating book by WSJ investigative journalist John Carreyrou about the rise and fall of tech "unicorn' Theranos. Those of us in the software world are well aware of "demoware" that sometimes gets touted as the real deal, but when doing something similar in the realm of medical devices, it breaks regulatory rules and risks people's/patients' well-being. This book is obviously well-researched and the narrative is engaging and immediately grabbed my attention.
This book counts towards the Book Riot Read Harder 2019 Challenge task #5: A book by a journalist or about journalism.
This book counts towards the Book Riot Read Harder 2019 Challenge task #5: A book by a journalist or about journalism.
ricatanval723's review
5.0
Amazing journalism!
Carreyrou chronicled the start up and the different players of the company, starting and centralising around Elizabeth Holmes and her then boyfriend Sunny Balwani, with such detail that I could have been convinced that Carreyrou was a literal fly on the wall inside Theranos.
It's a good read for those interested in Corporate Governance, Silicon Valley start ups, and the tech world. It gives insight on how the mentality of corporate leaders strongly affect the organization and morale of the companies they run. Theranos was run by Holmes's paranoia and an extreme go-getter attitude that she threw morality and ethics out the window to try and make her company into the new Apple. Carreyrou showed us how Holmes's mentality and approach created an atmosphere of anxiety and quick turn-overs of personnel.
Apart from Corporate Governance, the book is a good lesson on ethics and the issue of whether the world even needs billionaires. Holmes had set aside issues of ethics and morality to get to her goal of becoming a self-made billionaire. Makes one question how the billionaires of our world have accumulated that much wealth without riding over human rights or other issues.
Carreyrou chronicled the start up and the different players of the company, starting and centralising around Elizabeth Holmes and her then boyfriend Sunny Balwani, with such detail that I could have been convinced that Carreyrou was a literal fly on the wall inside Theranos.
It's a good read for those interested in Corporate Governance, Silicon Valley start ups, and the tech world. It gives insight on how the mentality of corporate leaders strongly affect the organization and morale of the companies they run. Theranos was run by Holmes's paranoia and an extreme go-getter attitude that she threw morality and ethics out the window to try and make her company into the new Apple. Carreyrou showed us how Holmes's mentality and approach created an atmosphere of anxiety and quick turn-overs of personnel.
Apart from Corporate Governance, the book is a good lesson on ethics and the issue of whether the world even needs billionaires. Holmes had set aside issues of ethics and morality to get to her goal of becoming a self-made billionaire. Makes one question how the billionaires of our world have accumulated that much wealth without riding over human rights or other issues.